Melissa

Melissa

We all have our stories, and like many you’ve heard about weight loss and body image - mine maybe isn’t all that different. I grew up healthy and active, and if I could tell my 18-year-old self anything it’d be to stop comparing yourself to others, it’s okay to follow your own path, and to love the body you’ve been given instead of hating it because it is capable of so much more than you realize.

For me, the college years were rough; many late nights of boozing, poor eating habits and practically zero physical activity led to much more than the “freshmen 15.” Eventually, I saw a picture of myself and was so disappointed in how I had “let myself go.” I was in my twenties, “my prime,” and I couldn’t have felt or looked further from it, and that’s all it took for me to start making some changes.

I signed up for Weight Watchers and tried various activities; running (which I loathe), swimming, spin, yoga, Zumba (which I enjoyed so much I got certified to teach), and kickboxing (also became a group fitness instructor), and after all that I did manage to lose about 40 pounds, but then I found myself at a plateau. One of the most annoying and frustrating places to be.

I knew I needed to kick it up a notch or try something new and a friend had mentioned CrossFit might be something I would enjoy. I did so much research and debating before I ever sent Scott an email about setting up a baseline workout, because let's be honest, CrossFit looked scary and like a lot of hard work. Three years later and I’m laughing at that thought, wishing I had learned about and signed up for CrossFit sooner!